Review of The Roanoker in Roanoke, VA

The Roanoker Restaurant has been an icon in the Roanoke Valley for over 60 years.

As a spot that’s become well-known to locals and visitors, The Roanoker features classic Southern comfort food and hospitality. It’s also been recognized by publications such as Southern Living for serving some of the best breakfast in the South.

While I remembered going to The Roanoker as a kid, it’d been years since my most recent visit - when we took my father-in-law for breakfast during a weekend visit.

On a late-Sunday morning, it certainly provided a glimpse of what has become a weekend tradition for many families in the area. Whether it was older couples at their usual booth or young families, breakfast at The Roanoker is something common and part of the culture of being a Roanoke resident.

The menu features many of the typical breakfast classics, such as omelettes, pancakes, and the typical meat-and-egg dishes, but The Roanoker is also hugely popular for its biscuits and country ham.

In an effort to get the best of both worlds, I ordered the Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy, which came with eggs, fried apples and biscuits. I also happened to get the sausage gravy that came as a side with my wife’s omelette.

I’m typically not a big fan of country ham, but being able to pair it with the fried apples made for a fantastic combination. The sweetness of the apples helped balance the saltiness of the ham, and the red-eye gravy was excellent when sopped (that’s a word in the South. I don’t care what you say.) up with the biscuits.The apples & ham combination was a revelation. I’ve been avoiding country ham all this time because I think it’s too salty. Now, I’ve learned that all I need is a side dish of fried apples to go with it.I ordered my eggs scrambled, but I could also see how fried eggs would be a solid choice when paired with the country ham.

Add in the delicious biscuits & sausage gravy and it was one massive, fantastic breakfast feast.

The Roanoker has been winning awards for years as one of the best breakfast spots in the Roanoke Valley. It’s something of an institution in the area and a place where many people have created lasting memories.

And with the way things are going, it looks like the good folks at The Roanoker will continue providing those good times for many years to come.

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